Salalah & the Empty Quarter Holidays

Oman may now be on most people's travel radar, but many visitors restrict themselves to the coastline around Muscat in the north. Now, however, the lush city of Salalah - the southern capital - and the 'sand sea' of the Empty Quarter are opening up for exploration. For those looking for something a little different, Original Travel has helped to develop a luxury 4x4 safari with overnight stays at private camps that are set up in advance each night. The safaris start with arrival into Salalah via Muscat (or the UAE). After a lunch of fresh seafood, there's the chance to snorkel over vibrant corals, go boogie-boarding or join a fishing party. The evening is spent around a campfire on the beach before supper under the stars and overnight in a comfortable tent. The next day can either be spent relaxing at the beach camp, or visiting several sites of historical interest around Salalah. Sounds fun, right? If you'd prefer your Salalah holidays to contain few more creature comforts, the coastline near Salalah is now home to some extremely comfortable five star resorts and some lovely eco-lodges from which to explore. There is also a new eco-lodge deep in the dunes of the Empty Quarter, and we can also arrange glamping in the region made famous by Thesiger's book Arabian Sands, about his travels with the Bedouin inhabitants of the region. Read more